CHIPPENHAM TOWN: Let's keep it going, urges Rudge

12:42pm Wednesday 28th November 2012

By Owen Houlihan

BLUEBIRDS boss Nathan Rudge underlined the importance of momentum as he warned his squad to maintain the standards set in last night's 3-0 Evo-Stik League Southern Premier Division win over AFC Totton.

New boy Tom Knighton took his tally to three goals in two games and Lee Phillips added a third as Town turned in comfortably their best home performance of the season to move within three points of the play-off places.

With crisis-torn basement boys Kettering Town next up at Hardenhuish Park on Saturday (3pm), the opportunity is there for Rudge's men to give their season real lift-off and the manager said: "I’ve said to the boys from day that when I played teams we got promotion in, you’ve got to have momentum.

"If you can get that momentum swinging for you it makes things a little bit easier and you get that little bit of luck.

“Tonight we had that. Balls were dropping for us when in previous weeks they weren’t.''

He added: "Kettering is probably the worst game to have because they haven’t won a game, but it could change quite quickly.

"We’ve got the momentum, they haven’t and if we perform anywhere near like we did tonight, we’ve got a good chance.

"In the past we’ve beaten the likes of Totton, then lost to teams near the bottom.

"You’ve got to keep working hard because you never know what can happen in football. If you do that you will get your rewards.

"The boys will come in on Thursday (for training) and they’ve got to work harder.''

While the front two hoovered up many of the plaudits, Rudge also paid tribute to a defence that has conceded just four times in seven games, including successive clean sheets.

Rudge added: "With Rich (Fey, assistant boss) being a goalkeeper and me and centre half, that’s what we strive for.

"Give yourself a basis to work off. In recent weeks we haven’t done that but in the last couple of games we have.

"I’m delighted with the back four, I thought they did really well. They’ve got that little bit between their teeth.

"We’ve got 16-18 players all wanting to play and they know if they don't perform they could lose their place. That’s their motivation.''

MORE REACTION TO TUESDAY NIGHT'S WIN, PLUS ALL THE LATEST BLUEBIRDS NEWS IN THURSDAY'S GAZETTE & HERALD AND FRIDAY'S WILTSHIRE TIMES